Military Circuit Training Workouts

“The aim of circuit training is the progressive development of the muscular and circulo-respiratory system. As a method circuit training is one of the best ways to develop solid all round military fitness.” ~ Royal Marine Physical Training Branch

MMA Explosive Power

Guidelines and methods I have used with fighters over the course of fight preparation to help them maintain explosive power and strength while cutting out fat mass.

How Much Training for Health and Fitness?

If you train in line with the physiology, structure and function of the body as it was designed to be used, and the training applied is correct for that aim, the body will produce the desired result in an easy and effective manner.

Basic Football Conditioning Program

A basic training program sample from my upcoming book used during my time as a conditioning coach for football in the UK. Learn how to peak train for your best National Football League (NFL), College or UK football season.

How to Train for Pack Marching

Since ancient times, in military conflict, soldiers have been required to carry their load into combat or at least to staging areas closer to the battle field. This article will teach you how to train for pack marching and endurance.

What is Mindfulness?

Most of you have heard of the term
"Mindfulness" in one form another, and from seeing the word alone you
probably have a basic understanding of its meaning. You've also probably
read one of the great many books published yearly on the subject. What
exactly is it? While a full in detail history is not the aim of this
article a brief understanding will be provided. The aim of this post is
not to feature an exhaustive list of full techniques or even a list of
new ones, it is to give you an idea of some of the ways Mindfulness has
been deployed by high performers in different areas in order to inspire
your questioning on the subject.It will also give you idea of some of
the research that has been done, and is still being done in the areas
discussed.

Mindfulness is an an ancient practise
with roots in Hinduism and Buddhism. It's worth noting however that
there are differences between the path of the development of Mindfulness
in the East and West. As in the East the roots of Mindfulness can be
traced from many Eastern religious traditions the roots of Mindfulness
in the West are more Secular in nature emanating from specific groups or
individuals. While other religions do employ Mindfulness as a practise
in some way the majority of teachings come from the specific writings of
Buddhism and Hinduism.

From the Hindu perspective
Mindfulness has appeared in many forms in many texts including the
Bhagavad Gita where Mindfulness practises are extensively written about.
There is a full range of discussion from Yoga to Vedic Meditation. In
Buddhism there is a much more heavy emphasis on Mindfulness and less on
sacred writings or beliefs than Hindusim. It's from this area that many
modern Mindfulness techniques derive to the extent that many now believe
most Mindfulness practictioners to be practising a diluted form of
Buddhism. It's Mindfulness known as "Sati" that is the first step to
enlightenment.

Sati although not specifically the most
accurate meaning is seen as the English translation of the Pali word
Sati which is a more detailed concept than some of the simplistic
definitions employed. It is however the closest Buddhist concept to what
non Buddhists see as Mindfulness. There are two sides to Sati the first
as one of the five mental qualities, and the second as the practise of
Sati itself.Both aspects have key roles in the practise of Meditation.
The five mental qualities are Mindfulness(Sati), Wisdom, Energy,
Concentration, and Faith. In this context Sati in Buddhism in linked to
remembering, and it is more a holding an "Awareness" of something in the
Mind.

When we look at the practise of Sati we see that
it brings together all other mental qualities in combination with
specific mental qualities. As described here from Buddhist Scripture one
example defines Mindfulness as:

"What, friends, is right mindfulness? Here a monk abides
contemplating the body as body, ardent, fully aware and mindful, having
put away covetousness and grief for the world. He
abides contemplating feelings as feelings, ardent, fully aware and
mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world. He abides
contemplating mind states as mind states, ardent fully aware and
mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world. He abides
contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects, ardent, fully aware and
mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world."

The
Extract above illustrates clearly the bringing together of four areas
Body, Feeling, Mind-States, and Mind Objects. Another example defines
this as:

“Mindfully one abandons wrong view, mindfully one enters upon and abides in right view: this is one’s right sati.”

Which
ever definition is chosen what is clear to see are the two themes of
abandoning what no longer serves, and developing a very high level
awareness. This allows for the development of the state of existing but
not clinging to life. An essential quality Buddhists of all sects
especially Zen Buddhists must develop on the path to Enlightenment. It's
these teachings that have become the basis for many of the practises of
Mindfulness we have today.

Yoga is linked so much to
Mindfulness that some forms of Yoga are not classed as Yoga but actually
as Mindfulness practises in themselves. This has even been demonstrated
on a Clinical level in modern Mindfulness interventions as (Gaiswinkler
& Unterrainer, 2016) point out below:

"researchers found that people who
are heavily involved with a yoga practise had higher levels of
mindfulness than people who were only slightly involved with yoga or who
were not involved in a yoga practis."

It's clear the
value of Yoga practise as a form of Mindfulness practise is without
doubt, and a there is an increasing level of research appearing in many
Journals such as British Medical Journal who have featured Studies on
the impact of Yoga Mindfulness practise to a full range of areas from
Heart Decease to Stress Management in Surgeons. However the biggest
influence on Mindfulness as a clinical intervention came from Jon
Kabat-Zinn who deserves write up all by himself a founding father of
modern Mindfulness.

Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn, MSBR and the founding of Modern Mindfulness

Dr
Jon Kabat-Zinn is an American Professor Emeritus Of Medicine with
specialism in Molecular Biology. During his studies at MIT he attended a
lecture by Roshi Philip Kapleau which
sparked him to look further into the subject of Zen Mindfulness. From
this first inspiration came the hunger to study under more teachers in
the area of Mindfulness from Thich Nhat Hanh and Korean Zen Master Seungsahn who was known as one of the finest Zen teachers as can be seen in this example of penetrating spirit and transmition to his students.It's these studies and his time at the Insight Meditation Society
that lead to his creation of the Stress Reduction Clinic where taught
what came to be known as Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.

His
aim was to completely remove Mindfulness from its religious and
Spiritual basis to allow a completely evidence based scientific practise
to develop. In doing so he founded the Center for Mindfulness in Medicne, Health Care, and Society
in Massachusetts. His eight week course provides an evidence based
combination of Meditation and Hatha Yoga as a clinical intervention for
many different Conditions. The course is designed to help the patient
cope with Conditions ranging from Stress, Illness , and Pain right
through Eating using what he calls "Moment to Moment" Awareness. He has
published a number of books with his first book Full Catastrophe Living
being a classic in field of Mindfulness-Based Intervention(MBI's). He
has worked extensively around the World with many MSBR clinics being
opened in many different Countries. The US Military as we shall see even
has its own MSBR programs. It is his work work that forms the basis for
the techniques we will look at next in many of our high performers.

Case Study 1: United States Special Forces MFBRT

One
of the best examples of high performers in the Military domain adopting
MBI's is the United States Special Forces under what has been aptly
named by West Point Military Academy as the "Jedi Warrior Program" or
fully the Mind Fitness Based Resilience Training Program(MFBRT). In 1982
the United States Army commissioned several experts as part of a top
secret project to develop a 6 Month long MBI program based on, and
inspired by similar research by the Chinese and Russian Military at the
same time period. This program was originally designed for Tier 1
Special Forces Operators to support their ability to deal with high
intensity and high stress combat situations. With a design brief to "reduce and control the Conflict on the inside of the soldier in order to overcome the conflict on the outside of the Soldier". The techniques had to work with Operators who performed in "conditions of high distress where a failure could lead to the next world war". The primary question they set out to answer was:

“If you had the opportunity to work intensively for six months
with men who were in a position to start or stop the next world war,
what would you do and what would be most essential to teach them?”

The
end result was an intense 6 month program which was designed to focus
on improvement within both the OODA and VUCA Models employed on the
modern battlefield. This program featured elements such the one month
long Aikido and Mindfulness Retreat known as "The Encampment"
which features a high intensity combination of Aikido based Combatives
and Mindfulness training designed to significantly increase performance
through increasing the inner strengths of the Operator to the point
where they were able to push through their own mental barriers, but what
exactly were the kind of techniques used in this program?

Technique 1:The Gut Check

This
is less of a technique and more of series of Drills known officially as
"Inoculation Drills". Initially this was an exercise at the end of the
Encampment which aimed to put Operators under an number of Pressure
based situations which featured certain constrictions at the same time
after executing a Parachute Jump at night. Operators were told to solve a
number of problems against Time Limitations which forced them to think
correctly under extreme Stress. You can use this technique in your own
training to do exactly the same. Pressure situations which force you to
adapt constantly while remaining Constantly while remaining calm under
conditions of increasing Fatigue. It can be done with something as
simple as a technique based Fitness Circuit or a full on Group Combat
Situation.

Technique 2: The Pain Inventory

Nicknames
the Pain Inventory by some imaginative Special Forces Instructors the
technique can be used on any form of Discomfort is more accurately in as
an MBI know as Mindfulness of Physical Discomfort. This involves
following an internal management strategy known as Interoception to
prepare the Mind to maintain the Homeostasis of the Body in order to
perform in times of Stress. Once of these techniques if the "Pain
Inventory". Which works on the following sequence of:

The
Sequence is performed as follows in a combination with well regulated
Breath Control you would employ the following dialogue internally
towards your activity:

To illustrate this principle we will use a simple example of someone doing 50 Press Ups.A:Mentally Acknowledge you're about to face a challenging situation."I
am aware of what I face, I'm prepared I have trained for this, I
remember my training this will be easy, I can do this because I know I
have done it many times before"

B: Mentally Acknowledge the feelings of Discomfort are temporary in this moment "I know this will not last and it will end so I know I can and will keep going"

C :Identify the Pain
"Right now I am feeling discomfort in x,y or z location and I know it
is nearly over(reaffirming step 2 that it is a momentary situation" then
refocus on the task.

D:Compartmentalise by breaking the task into the smallest possible unit
and focusing on technical elements meaning you're not doing 50 Press
Ups but in that moment 1 Press Up. To do this use the Right Now
Statement as follows "Right now I am doing 1 Press Up" work through the
reps. This will help you tolerate or completely breakdown the pain.

Technique 3: SLLS Sniper Refocus Technique

This
is technique developed for Snipers who face a very specific task within
the Military, and they need a have a need for Skill set of their own.
Snipers are required to operate in situations which subject them to
prolonged periods intense Stress and Fatigue while carrying heavy
equipment. T
he purpose of this drill is to prevent you reacting to external stimuli. The sequence is in the following steps:

1-STOP what you're doing.
2-LOOK around at your surroundings note what you see and then let it go.
3-LISTEN to the Sounds in your surroundings, note what you hear and let it go.
4-SMELL the Smells of your surroundings note what you smell and then let it go.

The
purpose of this technique is to note and let go without any reaction or
judgement of your surroundings. During training you will taught to use
this technique at regular intervals to center yourself and break the
natural habit of ups/downs in negative thought patterns that occur
during a normal day.

Technique 4:Active Meditation

We
are all familiar with "Passive" Meditation, but the real value of
Meditation comes when we can Meditate in the Chaos under Pressure. The
purpose of this technique is to teach you endure fear. It is a very
simple practise that revolves around having your own Mantra which you
repeat during Chaotic times. This changes your focus by directing the
focus inward. The aim unlike passive techniques is not to remove the
Chaos, but to become focused during it. To make this technique as
powerful as possible use an " I am" Mantra for full effect. One example
of a Mantra you can use is:

I am Unstoppable, I am Unbreakable, I am Focused, I am Determined

Technique 5: The 4 Pillars of Individual Mindfulness

One of the key indicators of the mentally resilient Operator was the presence of what was known as the 4 Pillars of Individual Mindfulness.
These were key Qualities which enabled the Operator to most handle the
demands of the chosen profession. Individual Mindfulness was defined by
Instructors in this program as "A flexible state of mind in which the
Operator is actively engaged in the Present Moment, noticing new
situations and sensitive to context". The 4 Pillars of Mindfulness were
designed to actively protect against the Stress's of deployment
situations, increase comfort with uncertainty and increase focus. The 4
Pillars form the "Individual" component of the Mindfulness in Action programs which also include group Mindfulness Strategies. So what are the 4 Pillars and how do you use them?

Pillar 1:Have full Awareness the Details of your situation
You
should be Mindful and Aware of the details in your Environment. You
should be able to under pressure discriminate between the most important
details.

Pillar 2: Actively Engage in the Present Moment
Use "Right Now" thinking to remain focused on what you're doing in the present right in front of you.

Pillar 3:Maintain a Flexible and Open State of Mind
Acknowledge that there are many ways to achieve an aim and be open to all of them as the Moment Changes.

Pillar 4: Acknowledge there are Multiple Possibilities
The
only thing that is certain about the plan is that it will change. If
you acknowledge that, and then expect it you will find find it becoming a
Strength when you deal with uncertainty.

NASA
as with other Space programs around have to cope with a unique set
demands which have a an impact like other on the human mind and body.
Supporting an Astronaut in Space demands support so specific and
effective that it cannot fail. It is for this reason NASA has turned to
MBI as another tool in mentally dealing with the demands of working in
Space Environment. The name now famously given to the collection of
demands and stresses faced by the Astronaut in Space is the "Space
Stupids". Indeed Problems posed to Astronauts while in Space leave no
margin for error with the result of a failure being death to the
Astronaut.

NASA has vowed never to lose an Astronaut, and
this means they can employ only the most effective evidence based
tools. Another problem posed is the limited size of the subjects
available for sampling, this means many of the techniques devised are
still studied mostly in Earth environments all be it with an attempt to
add as many unique Stress's as possible. All in all this leaves NASA
always facing the unknown of the ultimate pressure test in Space. As the
famous saying goes the first casualty is always the plan. For a full
history of Psychological research in Space you can read The Psychology of Space Exploration
which outlines the History, Challenges and current Solutions to Space
problems. At various points in History NASA has investigated and refined
a number of techniques through research to integrate into its many many
in depth training Modules. It is not the objective here to provide a
complete overview of Research and Techniques that can be a subject for
another time. I will providing techniques designed by key experts at
different times to illustrate how MBI's are being employed for Astronaut
support. Use these techniques to ensure you don't get your own "Space
Stupids".

Technique 1:Kranz and Mindful Leadership

NASA
recognised that failure did indeed exist in the form of Catastrophic
events which cause the loss an Astronaut from which there is no return.
It is this failure that NASA states will never be an option. One of the
most famous incidents in the history of NASA is the Apollo 13 Mission
which is one the best examples of Leadership and Problem Solving under
pressure. it is also where this technique came from as under the Gene
Kranz they did indeed avoid failure. A study of the life and lessons of
Kranz is one of the best of Leadership in general. It is from him we
discuss our first technique which is aimed controlling our initial fear
reaction. There is a crucial split second moment in the resolution of
any Crisis that determines how that Crisis will unfold, and that point
is in itself the exact moment we accept that we do in fact have a Crisis
to deal with. It is what you or team do in the moment of this
acceptance, and the time after it that will determine the ultimate
outcome. One of the areas MBI's have shown the most clinical promise
is at the moment of controlling the Fear reaction by allowing for more
effective Heart rate control combined with reduction in the emotional
impact of an immediately negative situation by changing perception
quickly. Is is also one of the finest examples of MBI on a leadership
level.

The aim of this technique is to
put on a stop on any Catastrophic thinking or reactions which can be
natural once a problem is accepted. It is crucial that negative Emotions
are kept in check, and that you are mindful that even in a problem
situation you're starting from a position of "good" as no situation is
completely bad. You can apply this situation to yourself as an
individual or as team, and this links in to basic awareness which was
mentioned as part of the earlier definitions of Mindfulness.

Step 1: Slow down and Stabilize(Mindful Reframe)

The
key here was to direct the attentions toward what was good about the
situation already, and you can by asking the a simple question"what have
we got that's good?" or "what have we got that's working for us right
now?" or "what is good about my problem?". In order to respond
effectively to the Crisis be mindful of what you already have in your
favour at the time. Kranz was known for telling his team to "keep their
cool" often. He wanted his team to avoid the panic moments and distorted
thinking that can come with crisis.

Step 2: Focus on the problems you can solve(Mindful Tools Inventory)

The
aim is not to focus on solving all of the problems because you can't do
that. The aim is to take become Mindful of what you personally can
solve then start with that. If you have a group you get in whoever you
need to solve what you can't. Take the pressure off yourself to solve
every problem ask yourself "What can I do right now?"

Step 3:Work the problem(Mindful Self Direction of Attention)

This
is the step where you focus on what you can control. It's a direct
focus on the actions you would be taking toward the end solution. If it
does not contribute to your end solution you don't work it. In the case
of Apollo 13 crew Kranz and his team had the task of working the problem
with exactly the same tools the Astronauts had. Why did he do that? he
was Mindful that any solution which involves tools the Astronauts had no
access to was not a solution at all. It was through this Mindfulness of
the situation that his team worked the problems most directly facing
the Astronauts. Build on what you know, and building on what you can do.
This strategy is the same in any problem your or your team face.

Technique 2:Gravity Science or how to Sleep in Space

When
the price of failure is so high you can't afford to have a bad night
Sleep. One of the biggest challenges faced by NASA Astronauts was to
have a an effective Sleeping pattern in conditions of Zero Gravity. In
order to achieve good sleep patterns NASA had to remove medications
which carry their own set of unique complications and focus on non
medicated Psychological program, which by design has the main focus of
removing the blocks to a good night Sleep. Every Astronaut has a
tailored program designed by the Behavioural Health and Performance Team.
The challenge facing Astronauts is to be able to sleep outside of the
normal 24 hour cycle which is normal for sleeping patterns on Earth. The
ISS orbits the Earth every 92 minutes and Astronauts face 16
Sunsets/Sunrises per day. This is a problem known as "Circadian
Misalignment" it occurs on both prolonged and short term Space flights.
NASA Psychiatrists have devised several programs through MBI's which
help to naturalise sleeping patterns and you can use them yourself:

1-Mindful Time Management(Awareness and Intention)

One
of the first techniques is to block out Sleep and Awake time. This may
seem obvious, but is maybe the rest of the solution which isn't.
Astronauts are required to carry out a non judgemental inventory of
themselves around these times. The aim here is through awareness the
Astronaut will be able to firstly remove the negative blocks and second
direct intention towards sleep. You train the Brain to become habituated
to periods of Sleep to the point were Astronauts will set
individualised Alarms to notify them it is now time to begin the
"Pre-sleep Routine".Once the Brain has designated a period of time as
Sleeping time this is not disturbed. Astronauts are also directed to do
the opposites. They are required to take an inventory of themselves in
the hours directly after waking. Support is then developed in part
around these evaluations. The challenge here is that this is all on the
Astronaut as once they're on flight this training cannot be done, it is
down to the Astronaut to deploy his or her training. However in
collecting this Data for processing in more in depth fashion Astronauts
wear an Actiwatch Spectrum System which ensures Astronauts are hitting
targets for healthy Sleep duration. Astronauts are required to undergo
the Reaction Sleep Test which is a 5 Minute test designed to access the
Astronauts level of Circadian disruption. Key data from this test allows
mission control to evaluate the effectiveness of Sleep management
programs aboard the ISS.

2-Mindful Breathing

One of the key areas investigated by Goddard Space Flight Center
is the effect of prolonged Stress in Space. NASA have set the 1YM(one
year mission) to investigate the effect of prolonged exposure to Space.
Investigations at the Goddard Space Flight Center have focused on
techniques ranging from Neuromapping to basic Journal Writing. One
standout area which was noted was the impact of prolonged Stress on
Sleep duration and quality. As a result Astronauts were taught Mindful
Breathing to manage Stress effectively. As with other methods the aim is
have these strategies become Habit. One of the most simple Breathing
routines investigated by the Goddard Space Flight Center is 4 count
Breathing(or Tactical Breathing in Special Forces Terms). Astronauts are
taught to use this method of Breathing for 5 minute time periods 4
times minimum per day. The reasoning is simple to interrupt regularly
any Stress patterns before they develop. Instead of deploying this as a
stress reduction technique the aim is in not allowing those thoughts to
develop in the first place. Its a simple technique as follows first
breath in for a count of 4 Seconds, hold the breath for 4 Seconds and
then breath out for 4 Seconds.

Technique 3:Mindful Moves, LIPA and MAT

One
of the key figures in increasing the effective of MBI's within the
Astronaut training programs is Dr Joan Vernikos former Director of Nasa Life Sciences Division and Pioneer in developing new insights within the field of Inactivity Physiology. She has develop what is now know known as Mindful Alexander Technique
as a form of MBI. Mindful Alexander Technique is an evidence based
clinical intervention method designed to help treat a number of
conditions through combinations of Mindfulness, Alexander Techniques and
Gravity Science. It is this program that is taught to Astronauts to
help manage the Stress of training on Earth and in Space. Here is how
you can use the same principles to develop your own MAT Stress
Management Techniques:

Apply LIPA with Mindful Breathing

Low
intensity physical activity can be combined with Mindful Breathing in
many ways. One of the best is to use your Mindful Breathing periods as
periods of Mindful Walking. Another method used by Astronauts is what is
called "Mindful Moves". You can do that by choosing one Yoga movement
which you can do at regular intervals through your day. You can even
choose one or two, but you must elevate your Pulse gently with low level
of activity. Astronauts perform 30 minutes Yoga flows per day as part
of daily training. NASA has deemed the MAT technique so important that
they now attach a Yoga Specialist to every training team. One Scientist
who became famous for is Yoga practise at NASA is Scott Lewiki who describes the impact Yoga had on him as an outlet for the demands of is daily work.

Technique 4:Space Sounds and Meditation

In 1989 NASA approached Dr Jeffrey Thompson
with a rather unique project proposal. Dr Thompson is an expert in
Acoustic pacing frequencies within Music as they relate to clinical
interventions in a number of areas. When NASA approached Dr Thompson
with a view to establishing the possible application of Space Sounds.
They gave Dr Thompson complete access to the recordings archive of
Voyager 1 and 2. What he came up with were a number of Guided
Meditations which you still listen to as part of your own Mindfulness
training. The end result was a series of recordings which is used in 20
minute daily Meditation Sessions. You can still use the complete Symphonies of the Planets for your own Meditation.

As
I said at the start of this post the intention was not to provide any
new idea, but to give you yourself as a reader some of your own while
sign posting you to areas of ongoing research. For more information on
techniques, references or any specific questions you can contact me via
the site.

Food Combining:Fact, Fiction and Success Stories Part 1

In this
Series of Articles I'm going to talk about a Nutritional Optimisation
Strategy known as Food Combining. The basic idea of this method of
optimising our eating is designed at reducing Toxins in the Body through
the correct combinations of Food, and improving our digestion in line
with evolutionary eating strategies. The Aim of Part 1 is to look
briefly at the origins of this method.In Part 2 I will then go on to
explain some of the Myths of the Diet as it necessary to clear up some
of the negative Perceptions, and also Wrong Science. I will also expand
on what this Method is and how it can benefit you. In Part 3 I will
explain how this method of eating relates to sport and other specific
Conditions. Some have dismissed the Diet while others such as the Gracie
Family have turned this Diet into a way of Life with The Gracie Diet and Product Range.
Other Athletes such as Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes have credited this
way of eating with increased quality of Life and performance. Indeed the
Gracie Website itself lists many success stories of its own. It's for
this reason I'll be giving it further examination here.

Ayurvedic Diet:Early Food Combining

One Example of early Food
Combining is the Ayurvedic Diet. This was invented thousands of Years
ago in India. The Great Rishis or Seers of Life set out to organise the
basics of Life,and to lay out the deepest truths of Human Physiology and
Nutrition. These tests formed part of the larger Veda of Knowledge.
This one of the oldest Bodies of Knowledge in existence and has been
translated into Chinese which massively influenced Buddhist Philosophy.
This also had a big Impact on Western Medicine.

This
Diet involves eating specific Combinations and types of Food for your
Personality type or Dosha. There are are three Personality types which
make up this Diet:Vita,Pitta and Kapha. In order to find your Dosha
you're required to take a Dosha Test for your Personality Type.
The one advantage here is this removes all of the trial and error which
can come with trying one of the many thousands of Diets which exist
today. The Aim here is to enable you to consume the specific Food
Combinations that benefit you on a Holistic level Mentally, Physically
and Spiritually.

Food Combining in the Ayurvedic Diet

In
this approach the focus of Food Combining is Holistic in this the aim
not only to aid Digestion of food, but also to support the correct
function of all Physical,Mental and Spiritual components of the
Personality type you fall into. Even with this idea in Indian Culture
this is still considered to be "Medicine". The Theory being that Foods
when Combines produced a wider Chemical Effect than if they were
Digested on their own. Poor Combinations of Food produce Toxins, and
when eaten over time can lead to gradual creation of Conditions such as
Diabetes and many more. Yet when eaten separately, and with the correct
Combination of Foods Toxins are not produced, Digestion is improved and
more Vitamins/Minerals can be absorbed. Their are even Food Combinations
which can remove and/or decrease the effect of Toxins already present
thus preventing our Body losing Nutrients.

One example of
such proper Combining in this System is Milk with various Fruits. Milk
is laxative and should not be Combined with Diuretics such as Water
Melon. Milk it is argued should also not be Combined with Banana as this
leads to Sinus, Mucus and Congestion like Symptoms This is why this
Diet suggests any one new to Food Combining should detox by eating Fruit
on it's own as most don't Combine well with other Foods. It's from
these incorrect Combinations that"Cell Confusion" is created thus
leading to Disease.

Another aspect of Food Combing is
Neutralisation, for example Honey and Butter eaten in say a Dessert at a
Ratio of 1:1 is seen as Toxic but is you double the amount of Butter
this will Neutralise the Toxicity of the Combination. Spices and Herbs
are also added a lot in this Diet to affect the behaviour of the
Combination for example adding Black Pepper to increase absorption of
Nutrients thus increasing the effectiveness of a given Food Combination.
Some Food Combinations are seen as Antidotes to Bodily Toxins for
example Cardamom to Coffee to regulate the negative Effects of having a
high dose of Stimulant Caffeine. While adding Black Pepper and Butter to
Potatoes can alleviate Gas and Bloating. Turmeric absorption can also
be enhanced by adding Ginger, Black Pepper and other Spices thus
increasing the effect of this already potent substance.

Other
Food Combinations act as aids for increasing the potency of other Food
Combinations. Ginger and Rock Salt combined and eaten before each Meal
produce a positive effect on Digestion and Water retention for
Hydration. Yogurt, Ginger and Cumin after each Meal with enhance
Digestion.There is also the example of "Anxiety Tea" Green Tea, Sugar
and Cardamom is an effective Neutraliser and remover of Symptoms of
Anxiety or Panic Attacks.

As you can see from these
examples Food Combining can be as complicated and in depth as you want
to make it. As you can probably see when we talk on the level of
Combining Spices and Herbs we are moving to the level of Food Chemistry,
as that is what it is, because Foods are concentrations of Chemical
Substances mixed together. As many Chef has said before "Cooking is
Chemistry". Modern Science has supported the use of Certain Combinations
of Spices and Herbs, and it therefor correct that we should not
discount fully any possible positive effects of Food Combining. Instead
we should examine this fully in order to draw the correct Conclusions.
In the next parts of this Examination I will be talking more about where
Science does support the use of Food Combining.

Dr William Hay(1866-1940):The Father of Modern Food Combining

Some
variation of the Food Combining method had been in use since Ancient
times as we have discussed above. These habits had probably arisen due
to Cultural Traditions of the time, or Traditions particular to a
Region.

The most famous Example of Modern Food Combining
is what has been termed "The Hay Diet". This Diet has lead to many
others such as the "Beverly Hills Diet" and the "Kensington Diet", it
was Dr Hay the is credited with the creation of Modern variations of the
method. Food Combining as Dr Hay presented it was the first step to
preventing Disease, but in many cases it was vital to curing it. Dr Hay
decided to question the link between Food and our Mental health along
with other prominent Medical minds in Europe at the time. For the first
half of his practise Dr Hay was very much a traditionalist in his
treatment until his own ill health forced him to conduct his own
research. Dr Hay Concluded that an increase in Protein and refined
Carbohydrates was to blame for many of the Medical Conditions he
observed. Dr Hay proposed that eating in line with our Ancestors was the
correct way ahead. He set about testing his Theories by curing his own
ill health, the change in Habit lead to a rapid recovery of many of his
Obesity related Conditions. Dr Hay devised his Program of Food Combining
and applied is to thousands of Cases many would state as Incurable.

Another
notable believer in this method was Dr Robert McCarrison an Officer in
British Army Medical Services. He observed eating habits of People
inhabiting the Himalayas. The Native inhabitants lived on a diet of
Nuts, Vegetables,Fruit, Whole Grain Bread and small amounts of Milk or
Cheese. He Concluded the same as Dr Hay that this Diet was responsible
for the absence of many Diseases suffered extensively by Europeans.

The Hay Chart

Although
Dr Hay presented many aspects of the Diet which we have now with Modern
Science been discredited(as shall be discussed in the next parts of
this Series) the "Hay Chart" is what we will focus on for further
Examination as it is this aspect of the Diet which has lead to Success
in some hard core Advocates and Athletes. With adjustments from Modern
Nutritional Science we can now update approaches to Food Combining as
suggested in this Chart.

For the purpose of his Dr
Hay created a simple A,B and C chart which made it easy to to create the
correct Food Combinations in Recipes. It is following this simple
Chart, and following an effective Exercise Program that lead to the
dramatic curing of Dr Hays Symptoms by removing Toxins along with Weight
Loss which comes with any effective Diet. The Chart is set out below:

The concepts of the Food Combining Chart is simple along with some simple Rules you will eat the following way:
-You
should Combine A + B Foods, B + C Foods, but never Combine A + C
Foods(A quick look at some of the most harmful Foods available and
you'll see they are combinations of large amounts of
Carbohydrates,Sugars and Fats sadly for all of us this rules out Cheese
Cheese Cake as an effective health Food).
-You should have Single Course Meals only.
-Leave Four Hours between each Meal.
-Eat
one Meal Per Day of Foods from the B Group this will be a fully
Vegetable Meal even though other meals will likely contain Vegetables.
-Eliminate Caffeine in take of reduce if not possible.
-Drink plenty of Water.
-Eliminate or reduce Alcohol.
-Eliminate Smoking.

In
the follow up parts to this Article I will outline to you the Myths,
and Facts surrounding Food Combining. I will also go into more Detail
about the methods of Food Combining. In Part 3 I will Discuss Success
Stories, and Talk more about why this Diet can be effective. I will also
Outline what can be learned from this Diet in relation to specific
activities and Conditions such as Sports, Diabetes and Hormonal Health.

Royal Marine Commando Circuit Training: The Dirty Dozen

I'm going to dedicate this Article to one of my favourite Military Circuit Training Workouts. This time we talk about The Dirty Dozen Circuit. On a basic level this is a full Body Circuit with a lot of flexibility, and that's been used time and again with fantastic results. All manner of Individuals from those just looking to lose Fat or improve Conditioning to Athletes and Operators working in the top 2% of Performance. I'm going to give you the basic Format to start your own Dirty Dozen Workouts, and I'll also some more Advanced Military Circuit Training Workouts for those who want a real Challenge.

Royal Marine Commando Circuit Training:The Basic Dozen

The entire Objective behind this Circuit Training Workout is to have a format which be used with no Equipment,in any Location, and with minimal Space. All you really need is a Stopwatch and Training Cloths to be good to go. This can be used for Individual Circuit Workouts, Paired Competitive Circuit Training and full "Group Phys" Boot camp Sessions. The whole point is you can switch this up anyway you want as along as you stay to the Basic Template. Use any Body Weight Exercise you want.

The Basic Dozen goes like this:

>Use an "Arms, Trunk,Legs" exercise order chose 12 different variations.
>Each Exercise will be done for 12 Repetitions.
> Each group of 3 in "Arms, Trunk,Legs" Selection will make a mini Circuit you should have 4 mini Circuits in all.
>You'll perform 3 Rounds each "Arms, Trunk,Legs" mini Circuits meaning you'll be doing 12 Rounds of 12 Repetitions of 12 different exercises.
>In between each set you'll perform 30 seconds shuttles, laps of the gym or 30 Seconds of Step Ups(the favourite variation) on an Aerobic Step).
>Work right through each Circuit with no rest.

Royal Marine Commando Circuit Training: PRMC(Commando Dozen)

This variation has been used extensively in by Potential Recruits to train for PMRC and also by those who already Serve within the Royal Marine Commandos for Conditioning. When applying it this way there are some added principles:

>The same Circuit will not be repeated two days in a row.
>Every round will end with a Burpee Variation
>Each full Circuit Workout will end with a "Best Effort" 1 Km Run
>Do at least 3 Circuits and 3 Runs Week. A Recruit will do 5/5 and at least 1 Swimming Session each Week. This will include 2 full days of rest.
>Split your Sessions between Circuit in the AM and Run in the PM.
>Runs will be between 3 miles to 8 Miles with one run over 10 miles every 2 weeks, and should include at least one Interval Run. If training for PRMC include as many timed 3 Mile Runs as you can,and use Split 2.4km Test Runs to measure your Progress. You can also down load Bleep Test Apps.

Circuit 3
Chin 12
Twist Sit up Sit up 12(each side)
Reverse Lunge 12(each side)
Lunge Jump Burpee 12 (Standard Burpee with a Lunge jump each leg at the end is one rep)
30 Seconds Step Ups Between Each
Repeat 2 more times

End this with a 1km "Best Effort Run" or a longer distance steady paced Run of 3 Miles to 10 Miles. Alternatively as stated use this in Split Sessions training Double or Triple Sessions in a day. In the past I have done this with people using 2 timed laps of a Football Pitch or Running Track. As with the previous example this is just an example but is still follows the format 12 Repetitions, 12 Exercises for 12 Rounds.

Dirty Dozen Circuit:The Sir Ranulph Fiennes Elite Athlete Variation

These variations are based on the templates used by Explorers Sir Ranulph Fiennes in his Elite Athletes Program. They are Circuit Training Programs which are used for those at the 2% level of their Sports. They Make up the Plyometric Elements of a wider training Program. Additional Principles are followed below:

>Use as part of a "Split" Session as the middle of two Cardio Workouts. The Program outlined 30 Minutes of Steady Running,40 Minutes on Cross Trainer and followed by 30 Minutes on a Rower. You can Split differently, but the aim is the same.
>Use Plyo versions of Exercises where possible.
>This does not follow Arms, Trunk and Legs Template.The general Template is the same 12 different Exercises, 12 Rounds and for 12 Reps.
>Use a Burpee Variation in each Round.
>Try to use as many different Advanced variations of each Exercise as you can include.

The Beauty of the Dirty Dozen Circuit is that you can do as many different Workouts as you want. You're limited only by your Imagination when you create these for yourself.For more Information you can Contact me via this site or Facebook directly.

In this post I wont be giving you too much Science, but instead I'll give you some quick Tabata/HIIT workouts you can use right away.

What is Tabata?

Tabata
is named after Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata who wanted to show
the effectiveness. He had athletes use a protocol based on 12 minutes
warming up followed 20 seconds sprint full effort which was followed
by 10 seconds rest. This was done for 8 rounds lasting 4 minutes in
total. It was then followed another 12 minutes cool down period. The
protocol was performed on an exercise bike. His results?....Athletes
using his protocol obtained gains similar to those who used steady
state 5 times per week at 50%-70%. They also experienced significant
fat loss due to the build up of lactic acid which triggers the
release of significant levels of both HGH and Testosterone. Making
Tabata the perfect addition to your weight training.

You
can use the original protocol and get good results, But I am going to
give you some of the best Tabata variations I have used most
effectively on my clients. Remember ALWAYS warm up completely before
any work out with 12 minutes of steady state cardio.

1.Tabata
Front Squats

Take a 65-95 pound
barbell. Move into a front squat position, keep strict form at all
times. These are good because you can just back into it right away
after 10 second rest.

2.Tabata Dumb Bell Thrusters

One of the most
effective full body Tabata moves. Using a Dumb Bell of around 35
pound. Move into a squat position with Dumb Bells at shoulder height.
As you rise thrust the Dumb Bells up explosively. This is challenge
for any one who considers themselves to be fit.

3.Tabata
Bar Bell Push Press

Push press is an
explosive move that allows to handle a little more weight. Using a
65-95 pound weight move into position similar to a standing shoulder
or military press. To perform a push press go no lower than a half
squat and explosively press the barbel over head.

4 Tabata
Heavy Bag "Blitz"

wearing a pair of
boxing gloves have your partner hold the bag. Hit the bag hard you
can and as fast you can. Then repeat for 8 blocks. This one is a
great way to take out any anger you might have after a bad day at
work.

5.Kettlebell Swing

This one I give more for
female clients who ask to add this method to training as a means of
shaping key areas. Using this targets the hips, glutes and quads
which is always a topic for female clients "what can I do to
shape legs and ass?". This Tabata is the one. If your upper body
strength is not high enough to use both arms then simply perform each
20 burst by alternating arms by doing single arm kettle bell swings.
Allowing the upper body to rest while keeping the focus on the lower
body.

You can perform this 4 times a week to really push
your gains or as little as twice per month. Some athletes I have
coached use this on weekly "cheat days". Done properly this
will be one of the most painful but rewarding 4 minutes of your
fitness training.As always remember to warm up 12 minutes before on
steady state and cool down 12 minutes after.

6.The 1000 Calorie Killer

I always say you can all rest
when get home from the gym. This is 60 minutes of pure hard work with
no rests. In these plans I don’t call them rests I call them
“reward breaks” because if you really are doing this right the
reward breaks will be the most the most welcome thing to you and I
suggest you use them to take on as much oxygen as possible. Use them
also to rehydrate. These sessions mix supersets, tri sets, giant sets
of plyometric, compound, bodyweight and metabolic weight circuits as
you have seen in my other work outs. Each “station” will in this
case be a separate mini circuit.

Super set station 2Dumbbell thrusters to failureKettlebell swing and step to
failure. (for this move you will place one foot on a low step up
bench around 12 inches high no more and let the kettle bell hang
between the legs. Swing the bell up and bend the legs to produce an
exaggerated step sideways to alternate to the foot on the bench then
lower the weight and repeat)

Superset station 4Kettlebell side to sides
until failure (similar to the swing and step but alternating the hand
on a kettlebell as you perform side to side press ups. One hand
begins on a kettlebell you go down push forcefully up bring the other
hand onto the kettle bell then move in the opposite press up position
and repeat alternating side to side)Plyo Press up to failure

Superset Station 5Close grip press up to jump
to pull up perform this to failureSquat jump

Perform every set on every
station. A set means one exercise one after the other just like a
normal circuit. Perform 3 sets of every station before moving onto
the next station. For station 1, 3 and 5 take a maximum of 1 min rest
between sets. At stations 2 and 4 take a max of 2 minutes rest
between sets. More advanced trainers can take as low as 30 seconds
for 1, 3 and 5 or 15 seconds if your fitness is right in the high
levels. For 2 and 4 more advanced trainers can go as low as 30
seconds.

7.Advanced Tabata

Now we will introduce
supersets and remove rest. You will work 2 different exercises on a
2-1 ratio so exercise 1 is 20 seconds work and exercise 2 is 10
seconds work. You can adapt any of the previous Tabata workouts but
here are I think work very well.

Once you reach set 4 you then
perform then count down for sets 5 to 8. Set 4 becomes set 5; set 3
becomes set 6 and so on. For a beginner trainer you would do 4 sets
then rest 1 minute and repeat. You the can the cut the rest to 30
seconds. But for an advanced trainer or a trainer who wants to really
challenge themselves after testing the other work outs you do all 8
supersets right through all out.

8.Off and Running

This is a very basic but very
effective adaptation I do to an outside tabata sprint circuit or one
done in the sports hall if I want more equipment.

The principle is simple after
each exercise which has replaced the “10 seconds rest” you get
“off and running2 and you run hard. This is aimed more at advanced
trainers. If inside you can grab a kettlebell and swing all out for
20 seconds to replace the sprint.

9.Crazy Steps

Now this is another advanced
tabata work that will really test what you think is hard work.Now you choose 8 exercises or
alternate those which are most effective and build from 20 seconds to
40 seconds and see how far you get.

Recognizing the Best

Today I'm going to Share one of the First Articles I Wrote which was Published in Various Fitness Magazines, Football Magazines and has been well Circulated Since. We all need Strong Support from the Best around to get to our Goals, but how do we Find or Recognize those People around us? Here is a List of Points fully Updated for you to Learn how to Recognize those High Effective Coaches when you find them.This Directed at Individuals Coaching Clients, but I've Written a Version for Teams. You may be wanting to know how to Find an Effective Coach or be a Coach looking for New Ideas. This can also apply to Personal Trainers, Team Coaches, etc.

1.Being Proactive

Being a Coach in any area of Performance Improvement be it Fitness, Business, Life Coaching is not about Maximizing the allotted Time with a Client. It's about Proactively Understanding, and Impacting the your Clients Life then Leading them to their Goals. That's how you get lasting Change. Look at your Coach ask the following Types of Questions:Is my Coach aiming to Understand my Whole Situation from the Personal to Performance Related?Is my Coach constantly looking to find new Ways that I can be Better in All Areas?Is the Coach taking Time to look in on you, and Check in?Is he/she texting my Session in the Morning so I can look forward to it? Sometimes the Simplest things make the Difference. For example I've had a Clients where a simple "Good Morning, You've Got this" type text has made all the Impact through just Knowing someone Believes in them. I take the time to really know the Deep Personal Issues that have faced my Clients in the past, and I hear you say it "that's not my Business" WRONG. It's aspects like this that are Entirely the Effective Coaches Business because you can't Impact someone without Impacting them "between the ears". To Change Minds you have to know People. That is just one aspect where your Coach should Proactive. These are just a few examples of your Coach can be Proactive. Do you only hear from your Coach while he's training you? If it's a yes then you may need to find a new Coach.

2.Beginning With an End in Mind

Any one in any Field responsible for the Improvement of Individuals should have definite Goal or Destination for where they want that Client to be. A better Word is "Vision". A Coach and Client should work together define a Vision or Picture of what the Goal is, and what Completing that Goal looks like. This Should also include Writing a Mission Statement. Missions Statements, and Visions are more Powerful than Goals. A Coach should be discussing with you aspects such as:What are your Beliefs and Values?What kind of Character to do want to Project or Promote?Are your Performance, Physique or Health Related?Visions and Mission Statements are used because you need to have Powerful Compelling Motivation. This then gives you Start point to work back from. Effecting Coaching begins with an end to work towards. If you Coach does not participate in Goal Setting with you then he is not doing his job pure and simple.

3.Put the Controllable Factors First

Once you have the Vision, and the Mission Statement you then need to focus on Directing Effort. Your Effort should always be Directed, and Focused on the Controllable aspects of a Situation.This one is something simple, and again it's Something every Coach should consider in Planing. Follow this Simple Exercise:1-Looking at your End Point list all of the Controllable Factors from ALL aspects of your Life you can Control to Impact Positively Towards your Vision.2-Group this into High Impact/Low Impact Areas3-Your High Impact Areas are the ones you will focus 80% of your Effort because these are the Areas that are Responsible for Highest Proportion of Change towards your Vision. In other words a Change the High Impact Areas will have the biggest Impact.It's Known as the 80/20 Rule, and if you don't follow it you're wasting your Effort. Highly Effective Coaches wont have you waste your Effort. The last thing you need is a Coach wasting your Effort.

4.Look for Win/Win

How do you define Winning? Well an Effective Coach will go for the Big Wins where possible in as many areas as possible. Developing the Individual vs Winning? What is your Win/Win? These are the are the areas which will Impact both the Development of the Individual, and their Results. One of Best Examples of this is a Focus on not just Training or Working, but the Focus on Creating an Active Life. How is this Win/Win? It Develops both the Mental and Physical Sides of Performance. It's a different Mental Frame than just looking at Workouts. These are the areas you want to look at if you want to be an Effective Coach, and it links in with previous areas discussed above.I Divide this into Three areas:1-Character:How can a Work be more than just a Workout? What Positive Traits can I Develop through Workouts? 2-Relationships: How can you show the Client how what they do Relates to Life? How can you Improve the Clients relationships to Food..Health..People..Challenge? Team Mates?3-Agreements: Very simple..do you have the buy in from the Client? If not start again.Does your Coach do this? If not take a look. Detail and Planing in defining your Wins is one of the Hallmarks of the Highly Effective Coach. If all you is Workout then you have the Wrong Coach.

5.Understand First then Be Understood

This Point has been mentioned in other Points above but it's worth focus on its own. A Coach should Know their Clients before they can have an Impact. A Coaches ability to help Clients is limited by the Knowledge they have of them. Has your Coach taken time in everything from Fitness Tests to Understanding your Emotional Needs? Does your Coach Understand your Working Situation? etc, etc. Its a very simple aspect of Managing People that if a Coach wants a Client to accept the Message then they have to deliver this in a Way that States what you Will take from Training, does your Coach explain how what they do is for your Benefit? Does your Coach aim to Understand your Drives? Your Ambitions? Your Demands? Your Personal Situation?

6.Developing Synergy

Unless you're on a Sport Specific Program then your Coach should be focusing on the right Mixture or Combination of all aspects of Development. Your Coach should never just Focus one type of Fitness or just on the Physical. Your Coach should have the Aim of Developing you as Whole Individual. If not it is One Dimensional Coaching. This is the difference between being a 10 in one area, but losing out on your Goals because by being a 7 in more areas you would have Won more. Try to dig into what a Coach offers, and you may find the best Consider more Areas. If all your Coach thinks you need is a Workout but Ignores what Triggers the Behaviors that Negatively Impact you then your Coach needs to Consider all Factors. Get a Program that Builds all Areas that will Influence you reaching your Vision. Highly Effective Coaching comes down too the Synergy of the Elements and Variables as Whole. Plan the Plan, and then Work the Plan. Look for a Coach that Improve you as a Balanced Athlete. Mind, Body and Character.

7.Sharpening the Elements

Once you've put the above together then what you need is Constant, and Ongoing Improvement. This should be in all areas of your Plan. This should be a constant Process of Observing the Plan in Action, and Adapting. The Goal should never Change, but what should is the Plan if it needs to. Look for areas such as:

Does your Coach constantly Improve his methods?
Does your Coach Drive you to Improving in each Area even a Small Fraction at a Time?
Does your Coach set aside Reflective Time for themselves to Consider their own Methods or Conduct?

If your Coach does not want to Constantly Improve of he thinks he the Best way then look again. He's either Arrogant or he gives the Same Plan to Everyone. No one Knows it all, and no Coach has the only Way.

You can add more, but this Should get you thinking. Are you with the right Coach to meet your Vision and Mission in Life?

A Different Perspective

If you're a Regular Reader of my Blog you'll know I like to make you all Question, and look into whatever went before to Challenge to see Information in new ways. While the concept I'm going to talk about is not new, but I will to make you think about how you apply to your own needs. As always this about High Performance, and you will Burn Fat while Building Strong Functionally Strong Body.

I'm sure you've all heard about the Afterburn Effect? Or to be correct its right Scientific Name Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption, Right? To put this in a very simple way this is when your Body continues to Burn Calories at a Higher Rate than normal following Intense Exercise through an Increase in Oxygen use after Exercise. However to make full effect of this we need to Consider the Body accross all levels not just manipulating Cardio to produce EPOC which is easy to do, and it does not fully Condition the Body.

What I'm going to show you are "Three Keys" on how to Use the most Effective Ways to Produce the Highest Afterburn while remaining Functional, Injury Free and able to Perform. During this Article you're going to use one of go to Methods on this Site Military Circuit Training to Maximize Intensity and Functionality for Performance.

The 3 Keys

If you want to Maximise Afterburn while still being Functional, and Avoiding Injury you need to the following each Session:

1:Reach Maximum Heart Rate during you Session. You can have Periods of Rest but you must have Periods at Maximum Heart Rate.2: Use as much Muscle as Possible through Different Movements.3:Work your Core Every Session.It is manipulating these 3 Key areas that will give you a Strong, Funcational and Robust Body.

The Tools for Maximum Afterburn

The Methods I'm about to show you are the Three most Effective for Increasing AfterBurn Effect. On their own they will not be new to you unless you're a Beginner with no knowledge at all. However I will make a Brief outline of the Tools before I go into more Details. I'll then provide One Example of these, and move on to the Circuits I want you to use for Maximum Afterburn Effect.

1)Interval Training:This is Simply Alternating Periods of Work and Rest to affect the Intensity of Training over a Period of the Workout. These can used to develop almost ANY aspect of Conditioning.

2)Super Sets:There are lots of different Types of Super Set, but for Simplicity the basic Definition is using One Set of Two Exercises without Rest before resting for the next Super Set. For Example Barbell Back Squat, and Set of Press Ups immediately following. You would then Rest, and Repeat the designated number of Sets.

3)Split Sessions: These are Workouts where you would Split the Cardio, and add another Element in the middle. A basic Example would be as below:

I'm going to Provide One Example of these for all of these that are my Favorites, and the I'll expand on that:

1)Interval Training:The 400m KillerThis is called the "Killer" for Very Good reasons, and if you're doing it right you'll find out why too.
-Mark out a 400m Course/Shuttles
-Run your first Best Effort 400m Run
-Walk Rest for 200m if a Beginner,30-60 Seconds Intermediate or Using HR Monitor if you're more Advanced
-Repeat this until you've Completed 5 Runs.
-Each Run after the first Best Effort Run should aim to be as close to that Best Time as Possible
That's all you need, and if you've Run it Hard Enough you'll feel it.

2)Super Set:Barbell/Body Weight or Full Body/Body Weight
The Philosophy with Why I select these is simple-use as much Muscle as you can is the Shortest Space of Time to create the Biggest Impact:

Barbell + Body Weight
-Squat+Pull Up/Chins/Dips
-Deadlift+Press Ups of any Type
-Bench Press+Squats/Lunges of any Type
You can see the Pattern is to avoid working Super Setting Upper and Lower Body if you can. Of course Abs can also be mixed into this.

Doing any one of these Combinations will increase your Heart Rate, Impact the most Muscle, and increase the Afterburn Effect.

3)Split Sessions

This very Simple you do the following for Example:

Part 1:15 Minutes Run Best Effort
Part 2:Squat 15 Reps + Press Up 15 Reps
Repeat x 3 with 1-2 Minutes Rest Depending on Fitness Level
Part 3:15 Minutes Run Best Effort

The 45 Minute Workout:Putting the Tools Together

In order to make the most of these Tools you will put these together in a Short Session lasting no longer than 45 Minutes. Each of these Sessions will contain the 3 Keys as Outlined above, and give you the Ability to Maximise Afterburn Effect to Burn Fat, Build Muscle, and be Functionally Strong. Your Session would look like the Following:

Part 1-10 Minutes Cardio Best Effort Maintain One Pace
Part 2-Superset of Choice as above repeated 3 Times
Part 3- Abs Circuit:choose 3 Abs Exercises of Choice Perform 20 Reps of each followed by 2 minutes of Step Ups. Repeat this 3 times.
Part 4-10 Cardio Interval with Sprints Finisher

So now I've given you the Template, now how many Ideas can you come up with? Play with the Exercises, Reps, Variables that's the Beauty of the Template. You will know you've done this right because you'll be feeling Sick at the End of each Session..

For more Information or for a Personal Program Contact Me Via the Site.

Kipchoge:The Marathon Man

On the 6th May 2017 at the Nike Breaking2 Race in Monza Italy, Eluid Kipchoge set the record for the Worlds Fastest Marathon. Kipchoge ran the Marathon in a Record 2 hours 25 Seconds. He like many Others is the result of years of Application of Kenyan Running Training Principles initiated by experts such as the Great Renato Canova, Patrick Sang and Others. A typical day for Kipchoge begins with Warm Up Run around a 400m Track at never more than 8 Minutes Per Mile Pace. He and Other Athletes will then perform general Running related Stretches followed by Specific Stretching Movements prescribed by the Coach. They will then move on to specific Run related Stride work. The Running Group will then break into a Session such as the 2k-1k Drill. The Athletes will Run a "Repeat" of a 2K Run followed by 100m Walking Rest followed by another "Repeat" of 1k Run and another 100m Rest. This is repeated for 5 "Sets". Every Athlete will be given a Target Pace which they are expected to hit. Most of the Athletes can Run faster, but these Athletes don't break Records by wasting Energy when they don't have too. Once the Athletes finish the Run there is a Cool Down Mile at 10 Minute Mile Pace.

The Average Weekly Program of a Kenyan Runner

Depending on where you are in the Training Cycle, and the Athletes Needs, then a typical week of Kenyan Running Training would follow a pattern of:

Sometimes in the Morning depending on the Athlete they will do Double Sessions one 06:30 followed by Rest, and the next Session at 10:00. This can come in the form of a Regeneration Run before the Fartlek Session. A key Principle of Kenyan Running Training is keeping a Journal of Runs. Each Athlete has detailed Journals of every Run/Session they have ever done.

The aim of this Post is to look into exactly what we learn from Kenyan Running Training for our own Running. Want to reach new Standards in your own Records? Read on to find out just what Kenyan Running Training can do for you. I will not be going too deep into the Science or Points such as Genetics. The aim is to present Tips, Techniques and Performance Methods you can use right now in Training for better Results. So take your Running Journal, and get ready for Notes.

1.Running Journal

Every aspect of a Kenyan Runner Program is based of his or her Specific Race Pace Goals, Energy Thresholds and Previous Performances among other factors.This is why a Journal Personal to you is Essential,and if you're not keeping one you should be. Kenyan Running Training does not Involve Heart Rate Monitors, GPS or Technology to aid their Runs. One of the benefits of Journals is the development of "Body Feel". For Kenyan Runners the aim to feel a consistent Energy level through out the Race by being able to listen to their Body, and understanding their Energy Fluctuations. For your own Performance you should be recording aspects like:When you feel most fresh in Run? When do you feel Energy Levels start to drop? Can your Legs handle Higher Pace, and over what distance can you maintain it, What is my Anaerobic Threshold? You should then know for your own Race preparation. Once you become proficient in this it will be your Watch that will be your main Weapon. You will use this to Regulate your Kilometers, and plan your Pacing. Your aim here should be to know how you need to Pace yourself, Load your Training, know the effect of Training Progressions etc. Other Conditions can also be Noted such as your Mental State, Weather, Time of Day etc. Record all of the Effects these have on you. You Should also Record all of your Preparation for a Race or Session, Rest, Number of Hours Sleeping. The more Information you can gather the better.

2.Hill Running

In order to Condition Leg Strength and Anaerobic Energy Systems Kenyan Running Training Schedules will always include one Session of Hill Running Per Week. Each Hill Sprint Session is of a One Hour duration, and they will be made of a varying distances depending on the stage of the Loading Cycle. Sessions Would starts by Building Up to 400m Sprints from 100m Sprints with "Reps" from 10-20. You want to do your Running in Blocks of 100m, 200m and 400m.

3.Regeneration Runs

Blood Lactate Levels remain Elevated up to 3 Days following a Competitive Run. This is where "Regeneration Runs" or "Flushing Runs" are applied. Before you can do this you need to know your Anaerobic Threshold(AnT) or Running Speed at Lactate Threshold. The Simple way to do this is to perform a simple test you can use on a Treadmill or Track. Perform this Test on a Day where you are Fresh as you will be doing a "Best Effort Run". Perform a warm up, and if using a Treadmill set the Incline to 1%. During your Warm Up you will gradually raise the Pace of the Run to one which you can keep up for around 30 Minutes. Once you hit that Pace you will maintain it for the full 30 Minutes. To obtain your RSLT you divide the Distance you covered in m by the Duration of the Run. So if you covered 8000m this would be 8000m/1,800Secs=4.5m Per Second. Then divide this by 400 meters which is 400/4.5=89 Secs to Cover 400m. Divide the number of m in Mile which is 1,609.34/400=4 now time this by the 400m Time equaling 4x1m 29 Secs =5 Minute 16 Second Mile Time. So your AnT is 5:16/mi.For your Regeneration Runs you would be working at -60%-70% of this figure, Calculated the Canova way this would be just over 6 Minutes 42 seconds at 6:42/mi. In keeping with the above Example this would mean instead of taking 30 minutes to cover 4.9mi to you would take 32 Minutes to Cover this Distance. You should also be stretching the distance at the slower pace up to 3 days after your Fast Run use a Long Slow Distance flushing which you can do at 60% this would work out at a Slower 7:13/mi. Although there these Times should be Calculated from your Specific Percentage there are many Elite Kenyan Runners who swear by the Rule of not breaking 8:00/Mi Pace on Regeneration Runs. Some 10:00/mi Pace Runs are not Uncommon. You don't have to use the Distance Covered that's an Example, but this should be Race Specific for you.

4.Long Running

One of the favored Methods used by Kenyan Runners is Long Run based entirely on target RP. This is normally at a Pace close to but not at RP.There are Two Types of Run which are used these are Long and Semi-Long Runs.Long Runs are Performed once every Two weeks at a Distance of 35km-45km, while the Semi-Long Runs are Performed in between 25km-30km.Now using the Information above lets say our Runner wants to run a RP of Sub-2 Hours. This means the Runner would have to hit 4:34/mile. On a Long Distance Day they would have to do a 40km Distance at a Pace of 4 Minutes 41 Seconds Per Mile. In Canova Method a Marathon Runner would do a 40K at 4:41/mile. You want to be including Runs at a Challenging Pace over Distance. This has been against some advise presented by other Sources, when it comes to Kenyan Running Training these are Essential.

5.Lapping or Kenyan Intervals

Although not true Intervals they are really "Repeats" theses are probably the most famous of the known methods, and have become known as Kenyan Intervals. They are known among the Kenyan Runners as "Lapping" Runs because they all take place on 400m Run Track. The are Shorter than Race Distance Runs designed to improve your Speed Endurance i.e How fast can you Run and how long for? As a result these Repeats tend to be Longer than normal Sprint Distances with Short Rest Periods One of the most consistently high Performing Runners of all time Catherine Ndereba or "Catherine the Great" is known for her use of what Kenyan Runners call "400s". She will perform a Session of 20-30 "Repeats" of 400s at a Pace of 71-72 Seconds per Run. Her Rest will be as little as 30 Seconds, and the simple Philosophy behind this is that there no Rest Periods in a Distance Run. These methods were the Core of her Training for the Bronze Medal she won in 2000 Olympic Games. These Sessions are simple, and can be done anywhere almost anytime of Year. Another staple Repeat Session used in Kenyan Running Training by some of the Fastest Runners is "1 to 1's" this is A session of 25 Repeats of 1 Minute Hard Running followed by 1 Minute Walking Rest. This a hard Session, but if you add this type of Training the Results are Guaranteed. Over longer Distances these Repeats take place over 1600m, 2000m and 3000m between 12km-20km Long.

6.Fartlek Training

Another Core Method of Kenyan Running Training are Weekly Fartlek Sessions. These are normally no more than 50 Minutes at most. Fartlek means "Speed Play", and as the name suggests you will be manipulating your Speed. The Slow Run Periods are not strict Walking Rest Periods as in the Repeat Training Desribed above they are Slow Run Periods which a Slower Pace Per Mile is Maintained. The most Common one of these workouts being Similar to the above this Session uses the "1 to 1's" Ratio of Timing. You will Perform 10 Minutes of a Warm Up Run and go into 30 Continuous Minutes of 1 Minute Slow Runs with 1 Minute Fast Runs. If you don't see your last Meal again at least once while using this Workout you're not going at the right Intensity during your Hard Runs. Once you become more Experienced at this, and your Body is Conditioned for it then you can Progress the Slow/Fast Ratio. Start to Increase the work Load 1:2, 1:3,2:4 and so on all for the same 30 Minute Period of your Session.

7.Tempo Runs

Theses Runs like Long Runs are based Primarily on Goal RP or Previous RP.Once per week as a key part of Kenyan Running Training you will perform a Tempo Run at Race Pace. These are all about extending your Capability at Race Pace as Opposed to the Long Runs described above. This will take the form of Distance Session performed at RP over a Standard Track where you can Time your Run. Most Tracks in Kenya are 16km-18km long for this Purpose.

If you want to Block off your Time a Popular way to do it in Kenya is to use a Warm Up Run of 20 Minutes followed by a Hard 40 Minute Run. Again this will challenge your ability to keep a Meal Down if you're hitting your Pace. A lot of the Elite Runners will Run Tempo Runs from 45-75 Minutes. When building the Run times for Tempo Runs Less Well Conditioned or Novice athletes begin with 20 minutes at RP then move from there. In Kenya it is a Core Philosophy of Kenyan Running Training that these Sessions are Group Based and Runners will drop off at their Assigned Times which leaves the Elite Runners at the Head of the Pack to Run the Remaining Session. Running Coach Canova Credits these Runs as being the key to Kenyan Success. Advising that Race Type Specific Time Per Mile Training at RP should be a Core Method. Many Kenyan Coaches believe these Runs are the Single most Important Runs of your Program.

Another way to perform these Runs which Kenyans use is to Run a Pace Faster than your RP for a Specific Number of km. This would be at a Pace 30-40 Seconds Faster than Race Pace. This would Gradually Increase from 2000m at the Faster Pace to 10.000m at the Faster Pace. It is quite likely that there have been times faster then Kipchoge's Marathon time Recorded by non-athletes in Kenya or Other African Nations. Once you've completed this Run it should Feel like you've just Run a Race.

8.Diet and Rest

No Training Program would be complete without Diet and Rest. As with every other Training Program these are essential for Kenyan Running Training. The First Component Kenyan Runner will most closely Manage are the Sleep Patterns. Many are in bed by 21:00 and get 10 Hours Sleep. They will then Include Naps of a Minimum of Two Hours. The aim being to Build up hours of non-active and active rest. They may walk around camp or take Slow Walk. The Rule is at least one Day of Total Rest Per Week where there is as little Loading as Possible. This Same Philosophy on the Seriousness also applies to the mind. During these Rest Days of doing no activity Kenyan Runners will spend Time as Rule ensuring the Brain has Periods where it does not think about Running. This is Key for Full Regeneration along with the Combined Regeneration Runs. When it comes to Kenyan Running Training Rest really does mean "Total Rest".

Diet has been featured as a Uniured que Factor of Kenyan Running Training being based on the Consumption of the Starchy Carbohydrates for example Ugali as the Core Energy Source. It has been put forward by some Sports Specialists that the World Running Community lags behind Kenya in fueling its Athletes. Most Elite Athletes will fall into the 5 Meal Per Day Pattern which is seen often with an Athletes Diet.However when on Camp there will be Food available at any time the Runners feel Hungry.Runners would always eat within 1 Hour of Training.

As General Rule Nutrient intake Per Kilogram of Body Weight would be measured at 10.4g Carbohydrates,1.3g of Protein. Carbohydrates would be 75% of the Diet, Protein would be 12% of the Diet while Fat would be 13%. This is obviously well into the extreme for Normal Individuals, but due to levels of Training Kenyan Runners are able to process High Loads of Carbohydrates effectively.

The Core Foods of the Kenyan Diet were Four Main Sources Ugali, White Sugar, Rice and Milk. These were supplemented with Bread, Potatoes,Beans, Cabbage,Eggs and a little Meat. The Majority of Fat and Protein in the Diet comes from Full Fat Milk. Athletes would add very small amounts of Beef. Just like the Majority of successful Nutritional Plans this one is based around a few repeated Staples and Dishes. Breakfast would be Tea, Full Fat Milk, White Sugar and Bread. Lunch would Ugali with Eggs or the One Portion of Beef. The Evening Meal would be another Helping of Ugali with one of the Other Foods Supplemented such as Beans. Where their Diet is different is the Large Consumption of Tea taken as above. The Kenyans would drink more of this than Water.Snacks would also be taken between meals maybe of Fruit or a Portion of Vegetables.

So what does this mean for your Diet? Depending on your activity level there is no reason why you can't do similar. Ugali is not readily available in a many places, but for those than can get it they should use it. If not you can follow similar Guidelines. Workout your your Macro Nutrient demand from the above. Then follow your own daily amounts. However if you're not as active but still Running then you can follow Elements of the diet. Try Eating less Meat and taking Protein from Milk, Beans and Eggs. Add Tea with its Antioxidants to your diet, and you can even Enjoy it the Kenyan Way Post Race.

For more information on Kenyan Running Training or have a Specific Distance Running Plan Designed for you then you can Contact Me Via this Site.